Touring the Haus - temporary urban art gallery in Berlin

On a wet and windy Saturday morning in April we emerge from the Wittenbergplatz U-Bahn station. Clutching our umbrellas we walk along Tauentzienstrasse passing KaDeWe and dodging the crowds of tourists and shoppers. As we turn into Nürnbergerstrasse we spot a long queue of locals and tourists undeterred by the rain. They are patiently waiting in line to enter the building at number 68/69. 

From the outside it is a grey and ugly construction. What is all the fuss about? - one may ask. The only giveaway is the rather large and colourful graffitied H sprayed on the facade. This is no ordinary building. This is The Haus. For eight weeks only an old bank in the heart of the west Berlin shopping district has been converted into an art gallery. Each of the 108 spaces, including the toilets, corridors and staircases, have been turned into unique works of art by 165 local and international urban artists. 

We are called into the building 10 minutes before the start of our pre-booked tour. After paying the ticket and leaving our coats, bags and mobile phones, we are welcomed to The Haus. Our guide, a member of the art collective Drink and Draw, tells us how the project began. The property now belongs to investors who will tear it down and replace it with luxury apartments. But before the building is demolished at the end of May, the developers have agreed to hand over the keys to the street art group The Dixons. It was their idea to turn the building into a temporary art gallery. 

Our tour lasts two and a half hours and takes us through the five floors, where we see works by Case Maclaim, Stohead, El Bocho, Emess, 1UP, Herakut, Klebebande, Insane51, Rotkaeppchen & Goliath, Nick Platt and Paul Punk, just to name a few. Our guide tells us anecdotes about the building, the rooms, the artists and their work. He also points out different styles and techniques. Every room is unique. Some rooms are extremely colourful, others are dark or have black and white patterns. One room has been turned into a forest, while another was entirely decorated using a black marker pen. Some artwork was created with tape, while other rooms feature lots of paint. By the end of the tour we feel like we have been through a magical journey.

If you want to avoid the queues I strongly suggest booking a tour online. The cost is €10 per person (€4 for children) and will make the visit all the more interesting. Please note that photography is not allowed so put your phones and cameras away and enjoy the experience with all your senses. "The Haus was created to be destroyed" so make sure you get there in time. 

  

Berlin's biggest problem: dog fouling

Forget unemployment, rising rents, gentrification, air pollution, the "new" airport that will probably never open... the biggest problem in Berlin is the dirty pavements (or sidewalks if you prefer US English). Walking along the pavement without looking down every few seconds to check for dog mess is a hazard. Going for a walk in the park, especially if you dare to leave the main path, is like playing Russian Roulette with the soles of your shoes. Everywhere there is dog mess. Because Berlin may be full of children, but it is also full of dogs and rude dog owners. 

Some people are trying to tackle the problem with "no fouling" signs. The picture below was taken outside a Kita (children's nursery). It reads: "Children play here. This is not a toilet for dogs". I have seen similar signs near flowerbeds. Urban gardeners are clearly facing the same problem. Over the past month my son and I have stepped in dog mess three times.    

According to the website Bußgeldkatalog 2017, the fine for dog fouling in open spaces in Berlin is €35, while the fine for parking your car without a ticket for up to one hour is €15. Now I have a suggestion: Berlin is full of people working for the Ordnungsamt patrolling the streets day and night to check whether car drivers have paid the parking ticket. If half of these people started patrolling the parks and pavements and handing out fines for dog fouling, we might notice some improvement in the cleanliness of Berlin's pavements and paths and the council might even end up making more money. Berliners what do you think? 

How is this problem being tackled in other parts of the world?

Carnival in Berlin: Pfannkuchen time

If you live in Berlin you might not even realise that it is Carnival time. Unlike other German cities like Cologne or Mainz, Berlin does not have have a strong Carnival vibe. I was rather surprised therefore to discover that Berlin has in fact an old Carnival tradition, which is relatively unknown. Berlin's Karneval dates back to the 15th century, when the first Carnival parades were introduced by migrants from Lusatia. The Prussian kings continued the Carnival tradition by celebrating with masked balls. Then when the Rhineland became part of Prussia in 1815, migrants from this region brought their Carnival traditions with them: the first Rhineland Carnival clubs in Berlin were founded in 1870.

Nowadays, one of the few signs that it is indeed Carnival is the notices in bakeries advising you to order your Pfannkuchen. In other parts of Germany these pastries are actually called Berliner, but in Berlin they are called Pfannkuchen and are similar to doughnuts but without a hole. They are usually filled with plum jam or plum puree (Pflaumenmus) and are topped with icing or sprinkled icing sugar. They are traditionally eaten on Shrove Monday and Shrove Tuesday.

The other telling sign is the Carnival costumes in toyshops. With a few exceptions, Carnival in Berlin is mostly an occasion for children to dress up and have fun. 

There is actually a Carnival parade (Faschingszug, which has just celebrated its 15th birthday) through City-West, along Kurfürstendamm (or Ku'damm as it is called by Berliners) and ending up at Wittenbergplatz, but 
I certainly would not suggest coming to Berlin for the Carnival atmosphere.

For the real Carnival party, however, I would recommend waiting until the spring for the Karneval der Kulturen (literally Carnival of Cultures) in Kreuzberg. It is a four day street festival that celebrates Berlin's diversity. It is very international, loud and colourful. The street parade will take place on 4 June this year, so make a note in your diaries (or digital calendars).